Actually, I think he is under the mistaken impression that you are Eastern Orthodox, not Roman Catholic.
He got that because I do believe that our Eastern Orthodox brethern are our "brethern", that we are both two lungs of the same ONE Apostolic Church. This is not just idle guesses and I do not believe it stupidly. I'm not sure if you were there in the great CAtholic-Orthodox FR wars of 2004-2006. There was a lot of fire spit on both sides, but surprisingly, we learnt from each other, we learnt how much we have in common, we learnt how silly some of the differences that we know about are and how deep are some of the differences we didn't know about. This went on in the background of the great moves by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict to bring the two lungs closer.
I do not lightly call the Orthodox part of the same body as Catholics, but say it with a lot of understanding (not my own and not one that an idiot like me understands easily but one knocked into my by these continuous, FRUITFUL discussions
I will not hesitate to disagree with these fellow members of the One Apostolic Church, but I will soundly fight anyone who says they are not one with us.
we have a millenium of fights but we have a future together, hand in hand.